MacNaughton Cottage

This cottage has stood on this site for nearly two centuries; it is the only building that survives from the early mining community. The cottage first housed iron mine owners, later caretakers of the abandoned village, then members of a hunting club, and finally miners working at a nearby 20th century titanium mine. The property that the cottage sits on is currently being transferred to the Town of Newcomb. 

1826 - Settlement of mining community begins
1834 - MacNaughton Cottage, as it came to be known, was built for use by the owners and managers of the fledging iron operation.
First bank - The small addition on the south end of the building housed the McIntyre Bank, first chartered bank in the Adirondacks.
1854 - A post office was opened and the settlement was given the offical name of Adirondac.
1858 - The settlement was abandoned when iron making failed.
1872 - The Hunters - Robert and his wife Sarah were caretakers of the abandoned village, and lived in the cottage until Sarah died.
1877 - Deteriorated village leased to a hunting club
1901 - Theodore Roosevelt - Roosevelt and his family were staying at the cottage when he received word that President William McKinley was dying, and he began his famous ride by cariage and train to Buffalo to be by his side.

1908 - James MacNaughton, for whom the cottage was named, passed away. He was the son-in-law of Archibald McIntyre.

1908 - MacNaughton Cottage in its prime. The cottage as photographed by Norman Stewart Foote, at a time when it was occupied by Robert H. Robertson, designer of the main lodge at Camp Santanoni
1947 - Hunting club leases were ended and the village was used to house miners working at the nearby titanium mine at Tahawus.
1963 - Mine workers were out and the village was abandoned a second time.
2003 - Verge of Collapse - Weather and neglect left the cottage next to collapse when the property was acquired by the Open Space Institute and the decision was made to save this last remaning building from the iron mining era.
2005 - Saved! ` An initial construction project was undertaken to stabilize and weatherprooof the structure to preserve it for the next chapter of service.